Henry e



(No Model.)

' H. E. WAITE.

ELEGTRXC SWITCH.

No. 593,286 Patented Novn 9,1897.

UNrrnn Srarns PATENT @ii-mien.,

HENRY E. VVAITE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC SWlTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,286, dated November 9, 1897. Application iiled May 28, 1897. Serial No. 638,644. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HENRY E. WAITE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a speciiication. 4

My invention relates to electric switches, and more especially to such switches as are adapted for use in therapeutic apparatus; and it has for its object to provide means to enable the cutting in or out of any number of cells without producing shocks and to prevent the liability of short-circuiting the cells when the battery is at rest; and to these ends my invention consists in the various features of construction, substantially as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated various forms of switches embodying my invention, sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, and in which- Figure lis a side view of a switch embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation of a modification, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of another form.

It often happens, in the use of therapeutical batteries especially, that it is desirable to cut in or out more or less of the cells while the circuit is in operative condition, and if the circuit is broken during this operation it produces a shock, which is not only disagreeable but often injurious, and it is one of the objects of my invention to provide a switch by means of which the cells maybe cut in or out without producing such a shock. Moreover, it often happens that through accident or otherwise the switch-arm is left in such a position as to bear upon two adjacent contacts connected with two separate cells, causing the cells to be short-circuited and their usefulness destroyed, and it is a feature of my invention to provide aswitch so that this objection can be overcome.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a battery of a number of cells connected to the contact-points B B' B2, ttc., and O is a switcharm connected with an external circuit or otherwise arranged in such a way that on moving the switch-arm more or less of the cells of the battery may be included in the working circuit in a manner well understood. This switch-arm isshown as arranged in the center of the segmental or circular arrangement of contacts B and as being capable of moving to engage any one of said contacts.

In the form shown in Figs. l and 2 the body .of the switch C is hollow and receives a rod l), which carries at its outer end a contactpiece. Thisy contact-piece is made T-shaped, having a contact E parallel with the body of the switch-arm and contacts E' E2 at right angies to the switch-arm. In practice these three contacts are preferably made in one separate piece. The contact E is of a width less than the space between two adjacent contacts B B', for instance, so that when the contact-piece is in its normal position (shown in dotted lines) the contact E thereof may rest on one of the contacts B B' or may rest in the space between two contacts, but cannot bridge two adjacent contacts to cause short-circuiting. The rod D is provided with a spring D' or some similar device, which normally holds it in its retracted position. (Shown in dotted lines.) Vhen, however, the contact-piece is drawn forward, as shown in full lines, Fig. 2, the contacts E E2 bridge two adjacent contacts B B', dto., and then when the switcharm is turned to the right or left one of these contacts will make electric connection with one of the contacts B or B' before it breaks with the next adjacent contact, and it will readily be seen that more or less cells can be included in the battery-circuit without breaking the circuit. Immediately on releasing'the contact-piece, which for convenience is provided with a handle e, the spring D' will retract the contact-piece, leaving the contact E either upon one of the contacts B B', dac., or preferably, when the battery is not in use, leaving it in the space between two adjacent contacts. It will be seen that with this construction there is no danger of leaving the switch-arm in a position to short-circuit the battery or the cells thereof, but that when it is desired to include more or less cells by extending the contact-piece through the means of the operating-handle e the switch-arm can be swept over any desired number of contacts B B', dac., and include them or cut them out of the circuit without break.

IOO

ln Fig. 3 I have shown a similar construction in which the arm D2 is provided with a contact F, in the form of a pin, and which is of a size to properly bear on one of the conta-cts B B, but not to bridge the space between them. Mounted on the arm D2 is a sleeve G, carrying a double contact G' G2, of a size sufficient to bridge two adjacent contacts B B', and there is a spring D3, normally holding said sleeve out of position to engage the contacts B B', and there is a handle d, by means of which the sleeve may be operated. The operation of this device will be readily understood, the parts being in their normal position, (shown in Fig. 3,) either with the contact F resting on one of the contacts B or in the space between two adjacent contacts B B, &c. When it is desired to include or exclude a number of cells in the circuit, the handle is pressed, bringing the contacts G G2 into a plane with the lower end of the contact F, and the switch-arm D2 can be moved to the right or left, as desired, without breaking the circuit or producing shocks therein.

ln Fig. 4C a somewhat similar arrangement is shown, in which there is a switcharm Dl having an extended contact-piece Il in position to bear on one of the contacts B or to extend between two adjacent contacts without touching. Connected to this switcharm DV1 is another arm lll', the end of which is raised or turned out o'l' the plane of the contact-piece ll, and mounted in this arm is a vertically-moving contact H2, having a handle 7L and a spring 7L', normally holding it in an upright position. The operation of this switch will be readily understood, and when it is desired to move the switch-arm to include more or less cells the contact H2 is depressed through the medium of the handle 7L, compressing the spring 7L', and more or less of the cells may be included in the circuit without break or shock; but innnediately on releasing the handle 7L it assumes its normal position, leaving the contact-piece H to complete the circuit through one of the contacts l B' or to rest in the space between them.

In all these embodiments of my invention it will be seen that there is a switch-arm having one contact which is normally in position to engage with any one of the battery-contacts B B or to remain in a position between two adjacent contacts without bridging the space between them, while connected with this is another contact which may be moved into position so that when the switch-arm is operated two of the battery-contacts will be bridged, and thus the number of cells included in the circuit can be increased or de creased without break. Furthermore, immediately on releasing the contact-arm it assumes its normal position, so that shortcircuiting the battery cells by accident is avoided.

What l claim isM l. A switch-arm provided with a contactpiece having one contact of a width less than the distance between two adjacent coperating contacts, and having' another contact` piece of a width sufficient to bridge the two adjacent cooperating contacts, and means whereby either of the contacts may be brought into operative position, substantially as described.

2. A switch-arm provided with a contactpiece having a narrow and a broad contact, means connecting said contact-piece with the switch-arm, and a spring controlling thcnormal position of said contact-piece with relation to the switch-arm, substantially as described.

3. A switch-arm provided with a movable contact-piece having narrow and wide contacts, a handle for moving the same, and a spring for holding the contact-piece in normal position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence ol two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY E. YVAlTE.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. Dieknv, EMIL HORN. 

